Geared oscillator for resonant systems



Sept- 24, 1968 A. G. BOBINE' 3,402,612

GEARED OSCILLATOR FOR RESONANT SYSTEMS Sept. 24, 1968 A. G. Boom3,402,612

GEARED OSCILLATOR FOR RESONANT SYSTEMS 4 Original Filed Oct. 8, 1964 2Sheets-'Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,402,612 GEARED OSCILLATOR FORRESONANT SYSTEMS Albert G. Bodine, Los Angeles, Calif.

(7877 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91406) Continuation-impart ofapplication Ser. N0. 370,217, May 26, 1964. Division ot' applicationSer. No. 402,474, Oct. 8, 1964, now Patent No. 3,299,722, dated Jan. 24,1967. This application Dec. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 599,612

8 Claims. (Cl. 74--87) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The output of avibration generator is coupled to a resonant member in a region thereofhaving significant resonant pattern motion. The vibration generatorcomprises a rotor member which is driven orbitally around a racewaybearing formed in the generator body. The rotor has a planetary gearthereon which meshes with a mating internal gear on the vibrationgenerator body. Rotational input for the rotor is provided through aninput gear which meshes with a drive gear attached to the rotor.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No.370,217, filed May 26, 1964, entitled Sonic Soil Cultivator, now PatentNo. 3,231,025, and is a division of my copending application Ser. No.402,474, tiled Oct. 8, 1864, and entitled Mechanical Sonic VibrationGenerator With Frequency Step-Up Characteristic, allowed Aug. 22, 1966,and now Patent No. 3,299,722, issued Jan. 24, 1967.

This invention relates generally to vibration generators or oscillators,especially for setting up vibrations in resonant load devices, andparticularly in various forms of industrial vibratory machinery, oftenof very powerful, heavy-duty type.

The present invention may be regarded as dealing with improvements inthe resonant load vibration generators shown in my prior Patent No.3,217,551. Vibration generators of the general class to which thepresent invention appertains are of the class having an orbiting inertiaroller or rotor which rolls around the inside of a cylindrical racewayin an orbital path. This inertia roller exerts a centrifugal-forcebearing load on the raceway, which permits a linear component ofvibration to be taken olf along any diameter of the raceway.

According to my said prior Patent No. 3,217,551, the inertia roller wasdriven in its orbital path by a drive shaft coupled thereto through apair of universal joints, so that the drive shaft could describe aconically gyratory motion path, traveling at one end With the roller,while its opposite end remained positioned on the axis of the raceway.

The conically gyratory drive shaft used in the generator described inthe immediately preceding paragraph is mechanically disadvantageous insome applications and also somewhat limited as regards choice of driveratios from the drive means for the conically gyratory shaft to thecyclic force impulse derived from the generator. A.par ticularmechanical disadvantage of this system is that the conical motion pathof the drive shaft involves angular movements of such large amplitude asto bring about universal joint problems of great severity at sonicfrequency, and these have not been entirely satisfactorily solved in thepast.

Accordingly, it is a broad purpose of the invention to provide avibration generator of the general class here considered, butincorporating novel gear drive means for the orbiting inertia rollerwhich do not require the conically gyratory shaft, and which also lendthemselves more readily to choice of drive ratios from initial drivemeans to the cyclic force output from the generator. In most cases, theinitial drive shaft for the generator is positioned on the axis of thecylindrical bearing or raceway, and drives the inertia rotor through aspecial drive gear set as just mentioned. This has particular noveltyand advantage with resonant systems which vibrate with large amplitude,as well as large changes in amplitude.

Special coactions and advantages of the orbiting roller generator andresonant load combinations are set forth in my aforementioned parentapplication Ser. No. 402,474, and need not be redescribed herein, butthe description thereof in Ser. No. 402,474 is incorporated herein bythis reference.

Illustrative examples of the invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and will now be described, reference now being had to thesedrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic View showing the vibration generator of theinvention coupled to a typical resonant load;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal medial section through an illustrativeembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation, looking toward the right, in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. l but showing amodification;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section on line 7-7 o-f FIG. 5.

Referring rst to the diagrammatic illustration of FIG. 1, a vibrationgenerator G in accordance Iwith the invention in indicated as drivenfrom a motor M through some form of flexible drive shaft s, whoseflexibility need be only sufficient to accommodate the variablevibration amplitude of resonant load device or member R coupled to thegenerator G. Any simple known way of affording the necessary flexibilityfor the shaft s may be utilized. Thus the shaft may itself be flexibleor include a flexible section, as taught in my aforesaid applicationSer. No. 402,474, or universal joints may be used, as in my prior PatentNo. 3,217,551, though the universal joints need accommodate only smallangular deflections and hence may be of simple and conventional design,such as shown in FIG. 9 of my Patent No. 3,231,025, which has copendingstatus with the present case. The resonant load device R is hereindicated for illustrative purposes as a tank 10 with an elasticallyflexible vibratory bottom 11. The generator G is xed to the center ofthis bottom 11. The tank 10, in an acoustic circuit with the generatorG, affords mass and elasticity parameters such that the tank 10 becomesa resonant member, or resonator, when the vibration generator is drivenby motor M at a predetermined resonant frequency of the system. Thegenerator systems of the invention are to be understood as involving ineach case a resonant member driven by the generator.

Referring now to the generator G in FIGS. 2-5, this generator has ahousing made up, in this instance, of an intermediate body member 81,and two end caps 82 and 83, together with a spacer member 84 betweenblock 81 and cap 83. The members 81-84 are bolted in assembly, as shown.A bore 88 extends through body 81 and is continued a short distance intoend cap 82 and spacer 84, as best seen in FIG. 2. Mounted in this bore88 is a hardened steel raceway cylinder 89, in which is a cylindricalraceway bore 90. As shown, a washer 91 is used in spacer 84 at the endof the raceway cylinder 89. Mounted in the raceway bore is a hardenedsteel cylindrical inertia roller 92, of a diameter somewhat less thanthe internal diameter of raceway bore 90, typically in the proportionsshown in FIG. 2. The roller 92 is adapted to roll around the inside ofthe bearing surface defining the bore 90, and its ends are relativelyclosely confined between the washer 91 at one end and the inside face ofcap 82 at the other.

Inertia roller 92 has an axial bore 93 which rotatably receives a shaftor axle 94 projecting axially from a spur gear 95, which is a planetgear. The roller 92 taken together with shaft 94 and the gear 95comprise a rotor. The gear 95, which may also be termed a phasing gear,has a pitch circle corresponding substantially to the diameter of theroller 92. This gear 95 meshes with a stationary internal gear 96, whichmay be termed a raceway gear, and which is formed in the aforementionedspacer 84. Internal gear 96 has a pitch circle correspondingsubstantially with the diameter of raceway bore 90.

Projecting axially from the spur gear 95 is a cup 98 in which is formedan internal drive gear 99, which meshes with an input spur gear 100 onthe end of a drive shaft 101 journalled in the hub 102 of end cap 83coaxially with raceway 90. Input gear 100 will be seen to be of somewhatsmaller diameter than drive gear 99, and, in the position of the partsillustrated in FIG. 2, to mesh with internal drive gear 99 at the top.Attention is directed to the fact that in this position, phasing gear 95is in mesh with raceway gear 96 at the bottom, or in other words, at apoint diametrically opposite from the point of meshing of gear 99 withgear 100. In operation, inertia roller 96 rolls around raceway bearingsurface 90, and is held in contact therewith by centrifugal force. Whilethe generator is at rest, or coming up to speed, the roller, 92 ismaintained in close adjacency to bearing surface 90 by means ofinterengaging conical axial projections 103 and 104 on the axle 94 andgear 100, respectively, and similar interengaging projections 103 and104 on the axle 94 and end cap 82, respectively, as clearly shown inFIG. 2.

In operation, rotation of drive shaft 101 turns spur gear 100, which,being in engagement with internal drive gear 99 on one side, i.e. at apoint of tangency between the two, causes rotation of internal gear 99.The phasing gear 95 integral with the thus driven gear 99, then rollsaround the inside of stationary internal gear 96 with which it meshes atits point of tangency diametrically opposite from the point of tangencybetween the internal gear 99 and spur gear 100. Axle 94 and inertiarotor 92 mounted thereon thus gyrate, with the inertia roller 92 rollingaround the inside of cylindrical bearing surface 90. As mentionedhereinabove, when the generator is up to speed, centrifugal forcedeveloped by the rotation of the roller 92 causes it to bear withconsiderable force against the bearing surface 90. A good nonslipping,rolling engagement is thereby attained. As will appear, the roller 92rolls around the inside of cylindrical bearing surface 90 substantiallyin step with the rolling of the spur gear 95 around the internal gear96. Any tendency for roller 92 to describe this orbital path with adifferent rate of rotation on its axis from the rotation of the spurgear 95 on the axis of the latter, is accommodated by slight relativerotation of roller 92 and the axle 94.

The centrifugal force developed by the relatively massive inertia roller92 rolling in its orbital path around the inside the bearing or racering 89, at the raceway surface 90 therein, results in exertion ofsubstantial gyratory force on the generator housing 80. This gyratoryforce is transmitted from the generator housing to whatever resonantdevice is to be subjected to this gyratory force. To accommodatesecuremeut or coupling of the housing 80 to a device to be subjected tothis gyratory output force, the housing 80 may be provided with anysuitable facilities, such as drill holes 109 adapted to receive machinescrews, not shown.

Reference is next directed to FIGS. 6 and 7, showing a modification ofthe generator of FIGS. 2-5. This generator G of FIGS. 6 and 7 is in mostrespects identical with that of FIGS. 2-5, and accordingly,corresponding parts are identified by corresponding reference numerals,but with the subscript a added in the case of FIGS. 6 and 7.

A repeated description of these corresponding parts will not benecessary and is omitted. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the phasing gear 95a is likethe gear 95 of FIGS. 2-5, but instead of carrying a cup with an internalgear, as in FIGS. 2-5, is formed at one side with a coaxial spur drivegear 112. This spur drive gear 112 meshes with an internal input gear113 in a cup 114 on the extremity of drive shaft 101a. Y

The generator thus described is constructed and operates much as doesthat of FIGS. 2-5, the only essential and important difference beingthat in the case of the generator of FIGS. 6 and 7, the mutual point ofcontact of the drive and input gears 112 and 113, respectively, is onthe same side of the longitudinal axis of the generator as the point ofcontact between the phasing and raceway gears 95a and 96a, respectively,and also, of course, on the same side as the point of contact betweenthe roller 92a and the raceway surface a.

The consequence of the differences between the two embodiments of theinvention now described resides in different ranges of gear ratios. Inthis regard, the embodiment of FIGS. 2-5 is a low-ratio design, in whichthe frequency of vibration of the vibratory output relative to thefrequency of input shaft rotation can vary, within practical limitationsof gear size and design, from about one-to-five step-down to five-to-onesteprup. The embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, on the other hand, is ahigh-ratio design in which the frequency of vibration relative to thefrequency of input shaft rotation can vary within a range of from abouttwo-to-one step-up to a theoretical infinite step-up, limited only bypractical gear design.

It will be noted that with these generators it is not necessary that theinput drive shaft follow the orbiting path of the rotor. This problemhas been automatically taken care of in a better manner by the fact thatthe meshing teeth of the drive gear, at each and every instant, arealways in engagement. Hence the drive shaft need only accommodate forthe amplitude of vibration of the resonant system. It is accordinglypossible to employ a practical flexible drive means, such as universaljoints or the like, because these elements do not have to accommodatelarge amplitude at sonic frequency which is almost impossible with knownuniversal joints under such high Q conditions.

Moreover, these lighter duty universal joints can be very sensitive, andof low friction, so as to permit sonic frequency resonant operation,particularly with change of amplitude.

The subject matter of the invention is capable of embodiment in numerouspractical and physical forms, with considerable range for modificationand reorganization. The two embodiments here chosen for illustrativepurposes, therefore, are to be taken as typical, and to imply nolimitation 4on freedom of design within the scope of the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a vibration generator, the combination of a resonant member;

a generator body coupled to said resonant member in a resonant impedanceregion having resonant pattern motion;

bearing means on said generator body providing a cylindrical racewaybearing;

an inertia rotor adapted for orbital travel around said raceway bearing;

said rotor comprising an inertia roller of smaller diameter than saidraceway, and positioned to run on said raceway in an orbital path;

a drive gear;

an input gear;

a planet gear coaxial with said roller and connected therewith so as tobe movable in an orbital path with said roller, said drive gear being aspur gear and said input gear being an internal gear in mesh therewithon the same side of the axis of said raceway as the point at which saidroller contacts said raceway.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, including an input 4drive shaftcoaxial with said cylindrical raceway and coupled to said internal inputgear and a cup member connected to said drive shaft and projectingaxially outwardly therefrom, said input gear being formed in said cupmember;

3. Ina vibration generator, the combination of a resonant member;

a generator body coupled to said resonant member in a resonant impedanceregion having significant resonant pattern motion;

bearing means on said generator body providing a cylindrical racewaybearing;

an inertia rot-or adapted for orbital travel around said racewaybearing;

said rotor comprising an inertial roller of smaller diameter than saidraceway, and positioned to run on said raceway in an orbital path;

a planet gear coaxial with said roller and connected therewith so as tobe movable in an orbital path with said roller;

a stationary internal gear on said body of greater diameter than saidplanet gear, and in mesh therewith;

a drive gear coaxially fixed relative to said planet gear;

a rotatable input gear coaxial with said cylindrical raceway bearingmeshing with said drive gear; and

a cup member operatively connected to said roller and projecting axiallyoutwardly therefrom;

said drive gear being an internal gear formed in said cup member yandsaid input gear being a spur gear in mesh therewith on the side of theaxis of said raceway diametrically opposite from the point at which saidroller contacts said raceway.

4. In a vibration generator, the combination of:

a resonant member;

a generator body coupled to said resonant member in a resonant impedanceregion having significant resonant pattern motion,

bearing means on said generator body providing a cylindrical racewaybearing;

an inertia rotor adapted for orbital travel around said raceway bearing;

said rotor comprising an inertia roller of smaller diameter than saidraceway, and positioned to run on said raceway in an orbital path;

a planet gear coaxial with said roller and connected therewith so as tobe movable in an orbital path with said roller;

a stationary internal gear on said body, of greater diameter than saidplanet gear, and in mesh therewith;

a drive gear coaxially xed relative to said planet gear;

and

a rotatable input gear coaxial with said cylindrical raceway meshingwith said drive gear;

said drive gear being a spur gear and said input gear being an internalgear in mesh therewith on the same side of the -axis of said raceway asthe point at which said roller contacts said raceway.

5. In a vibration generator, the combination of:

a resonant member;

a generator body coupled to said resonant member in a resonant impedanceregion having significant resonant pattern motion;

bearing means on said generator body providing a cylindrical racewaybearing;

an inertia rotor adapted for orbital travel around said raceway bearing;

said rotor comprising an inertia roller of smaller diameter than saidraceway, and positioned to run on said raceway in an orbital path;

a planet gear coaxial with said roller and connected therewith so as tobe movable in an orbital path with said roller;

a stationary internal gear on said body, of greater diameter than saidplanet gear, and in mesh therewith;

a drive gear coaxially iixed relative to said planet gear;

a rotatable input gear coaxial with said cylindrical raceway meshingwith said drive gear;

a shaft extending coaxially through and having rotational bearing withinsaid inertia roller, said planet gear being mounted yon said shaft, saiddrive gear comprising an internal gear connected to said shaft coaxiallytherewith;

said input gear comprising a spur gear; and

a drive shaft for said last mentioned spur gear supported coaxially ofsaid cylindrical raceway bearing.

6. The subject matter of claim 5, wherein said planet gear a-nd saidstationary internal gear in mesh therewith are displaced axially fromsaid inertia roller and said raceway bearing.

7. In a vibration generator, the combination of:

a resonant member;

a generator body coupled to said resonant member in a resonant impedanceregion having significant resonant pattern motion;

bearing means on said generator body providing a cylindrical racewaybearing;

an inertia rotor adapted for orbital travel around said raceway bearing;

said rotor comprising an inertia roller of smaller diameter than saidraceway, and positioned to run on said raceway in an orbital path;

a planet gear coaxial with said roller and connected therewith so as tobe movable in an orbital path with said roller;

a stationary internal gear on said body, of greater diameter than saidplanet gear, and in mesh therewith;

a drive gear coaxially lixed relative to said planet gear;

a rotatable input gear coaxial with said cylindrical raceway meshingwith said drive gear; and

a shaft extending coaxially through and having rotational bearing withinsaid inertia roller, said planet gear being mounted on said shaft, saiddrive gear comprising a spur gear connected to said shaft coaxiallytherewith, said input gear and internal ring gear in mesh with said spurgear and supported for rotation coaxially of said cylindrical racewaybearing.

8. The subject lmatter of claim 7, wherein said planet gear and saidstationary internal gear in mesh therewith are displaced axially fromsaid inertia roller and said raceway bearing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,198,148 4/ 1940 Baily 74-872,553,541 5/1951 Bodine 173-49 X FOREIGN PATENTS 219,920 7/ 1961Austria.

MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner.

